Observing Basics: Distances in Space

Light travels at a constant speed of 299,702,458 meters per second (186,282 miles per second). That's equal to more than 670 million mph (1.08 billion km/hr). So the distance light travels in a year is known as the light-year, and it's equivalent to 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion km).

Expand your observing at Astronomy.com

StarDomeCheck out Astronomy.com's interactive StarDome to see an accurate of your sky. This tool will help you locate this week's targets.

Intro to the Sky: Get to know the night skyLearn how to use star charts, find constellations, and observe the brightest objects in your night sky with in this handy reference section.

The Sky this WeekGet a daily digest of celestial events coming soon to a sky near you.

Observing TalkAfter you listen to the podcast and try to find the objects, be sure to share your observing experience with us by leaving a comment at the blog or in the Reader Forums.